|
It lifted us another place in the table to fifth with our closest rivals getting mixed results and there's no doubt there was a real buzz around the place as the fans left at the end.
There was no sign of the expected rain ahead of the game but a strong wind was always going to make it difficult to play good football but we really needed to go out and pick up points with no sign of a home game for another month.
The name of Jay Rodriguez had come up in so many pre-match conversations and whether he might get his first start but when the team news reached us Owen Coyle had named the side that had started in the win against Crystal Palace along with the same five substitutes.
It all started quite brightly for us as we pushed forwards but with only a few minutes gone Steven Thompson went down with an ankle injury. It was soon evident he wouldn't be able to continue and was stretchered from the field of play. Jay might not have got his start but now it was close to as he came on with just eight minutes gone.
I have to say it was good to see many of the Forest fans applauding the striker as the stretcher approached the cricket field stand as Thompson was taken back to the dressing room.
Much of the first half could be described as a dull affair but twice it was lit up by pieces of magic and both times by the resident magician Robbie Blake. We won a free kick on the left hand side of the pitch and Robbie prepared to take it.
"He wants to drop this around the six yard line," I was told from my right, but my response was to say: "He wants to put this right into the top corner beyond the keeper." To my amazement he did just that. Some dared to suggest he hadn't meant it, of course he had. It was a superb finish.
Then just before half time he got the ball on the left hand side and worked his way into the box, beating defenders on the way, before playing the ball across the six yard box where Wade Elliott bundled it home.
It was so reminiscent of the goal he set up in the cup win against West Brom and I bet Chris Gunter, who hadn't known just what to do against Robbie in the Spurs game, was thankful he was on the opposite side of the pitch.
Two up, and after a couple of dodgy moments just before half time we went into the break with the lead intact. We deserved to be in front but we hadn't played that well but we'd been head and shoulders better than a poor looking Forest side.
Steve Kindon came on to make the half time draw and that was a reminder of a Forest game not far short of forty years ago. We'd won that one 5-0 with Kindon getting a hat trick. Maybe he'd been sent to inspire us.
When you come out for the start of the second half with a two goal lead you know the next goal is going to be vital. If you concede it then it is very much game on, if you score it then you should be able to sit back, relax and enjoy it with the points in the bag.
Thankfully it was the latter and although Forest were somewhat found wanting defensively it was still a good goal. It came from a free kick with Graham Alexander cleverly playing in Martin Paterson who got the ball across for Carlisle to head home at the far post. It was certainly well worked.
That came with only six minutes of the half played, and four minutes later we were home and dry with something very special. For many of our fans Jay is a player they hadn't seen until this season but there's no doubt at all that the home crowd really are warming to the local teenager.
He'd already scored four goals in the three competitions, all of them at the Jimmy Mac end of the ground. They'd included two very important winning cup goals. But for sheer quality none of them could match this one.
From just inside the box on the left hand side he curled a superb effort past Forest keeper Paul Smith. He wasn't that far away from it but he didn't have an earthly of keeping it out. "Super, super Jay," sang the Burnley fans and no wonder.
I've watched Jay score goals in the youth and reserve teams over the last few years. He's had his fair share of spectacular goals amongst them but none any better than this. It's fantastic to see and I know we all hope there's going to be a lot more to come from him.
We were already 3-0 up but this fourth really lifted the crowd and no wonder, and the youngster who has just started sitting behind me was loving it and looking forward to more goals. He thought we might get six but in the end had to settle for five.
The fifth came from Joey who had only been on for four minutes, and it was nearly his second. With his first touch he came close with a powerful free kick from some considerable distance and then after a ball dropped for him just inside the box he hammered it home.
We could have had more and believe it or not Forest had a rare effort on goal towards the end when Robert Earnshaw blazed a free kick way over the bar. "You're not Robbie Blake," was how the Burnley fans taunted him.
It was all too much for Little Billy in the technical area and right at the end the day almost got even worse for him when Paterson just failed to get a goal for himself, hitting a difficult effort just wide.
5-0 it was then, but just a warning for Owen Coyle. When Steve Kindon hit his hat trick in our last 5-0 win against them, manager Harry Potts was sacked two days later.
I'd two candidates for man of the match and it was a difficult decision. I thought Clarke Carlisle was at his best in this game. He won ball after ball and was never wasteful. But I can't overlook Robbie's performance, especially his contribution to those so important first two goals.
It's the first time we've hit five goals in a game for some time, in fact since 2002 when we lost 6-5 at Grimsby, the last time we won by five clear goals was back in 1999 against Wrexham.
But more importantly we've now won three games since the defeat against Sheffield Wednesday and played ourselves right back up there and given ourselves a really good shout.
I don't know how many points we might need if we want to finish in the top six, but I do know we are going to need some from these next three games away from home. If we do get some then fasten your seatbelts, this could be a hell of a ride.
The teams were;
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Rhys Williams, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Christian Kalvenes, Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott, Chris McCann (Joey Gudjonsson 69), Robbie Blake (Chris Eagles 67), Martin Paterson, Steven Thompson (Jay Rodriguez 8). Subs not used: Diego Penny, Kevin McDonald.
Nottingham Forest: Paul Smith, Luke Chambers, Wes Morgan, James Perch, Chris Gunter, Garath McCleary (Joe Garner 45), Isaiah Osbourne (Lewis McGugan 78), Chris Cohen, Gary McSheffrey (Matt Thornhill 75), Nathan Tyson, Robert Earnshaw. Subs not used: Paddy Gamble, Brendan Moloney.
Yellow Cards: Chris Cohen, Joe Garner.
Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire).
Attendance: 13,055.